In college I had the opportunity to attend a summer program at The Creative Circus; a portfolio school for trades like copywriting, art direction, design, photography, and content creation. That was my first real exposure to the world of putting creativity to work.
After graduating college with an advertising degree, I tried endlessly to find a job as a copywriter. 11 third round interviews all with the same word of advice with my rejection, “Go to portfolio school.“
My parents had recently become empty nesters and were moving to a new home near the beach. Since I had no copywriting job, I decided to bartend for the many retirees on the island. It took me a year before I took all my savings and put it towards rent and tuition to continue my studies at The Circus.
Below is some of my spec work I made in the copywriting track while attending. It should be noted, I did not finish the program as I decided to pursue a full time design position that became available due to my efforts part time as a music intern for Peloton.
Summer at The Circus, 2017
“Design a tour poster for your favorite artist.” At the time, mine was RAC.
A campaign for Idaho Tourism that paints Idaho as a space for adventurers to escape reality and reconnect with themselves through inner peace.
First Quarter, 2019
Tackled tough copywriting challenges like how to convert meat-eating humans into saint like vegetarians.
“A challenge in layout.”
I ended up with toothpaste for my brand, and this was my take.
Second Quarter, 2019
An art director and I were tasked with finding a way to advertise local businesses that might not be the most exciting prospects at first glance. The goal was to create a engaging yet unique concept. We decided to do a spec for a local Assisted Senior Care business. We wanted to tug on the heart strings of sons and daughters of elderly parents.
Art Direction Credit: Michael Simon
We were given a product that enthusiasts enjoy, but have not yet broken into the mainstream market. Mine was Injinji Toe Socks which help runners run longer with less blisters and sores. The goal of the assignment was to pair captivating headlines with thought provoking imagery. I did both the copywriting and art direction on this project. The writing was fun and also easier compared to the hand illustration. I resorted to tracing for my concepts. I used bits and pieces of imagery to make collages that I could trace over to make my final prints ads.
Worked on strategy team to create a campaign for Orange Guard, a natural orange based insecticide that’s safe around loved ones.
Art Direction Credit: Cole Frieder
Design Credit: Mira Brody
Third Quarter, 2020
Ben & Jerry’s Manifesto:
“We live in a world where we’re all constantly bouncing in different directions in separate but parallel states of mind. Sometimes we just need a sweet escape from this wavy world. At Ben & Jerry’s, our favorite getaway is right through the freezer door. A place where chocolate fish swim through rivers of caramel below clouds of marshmallow fluff. Sure, when you opened the fridge you weren’t expecting to be transported to a munchie paradise, but it’s quite a welcome surprise. A miraculous moment where a pint of ice cream becomes so much more.”
Art Direction Credit: Jason Magnes
The scripts found in the link below were written for my script writing class. In this assignment, I was given the task of trying to engage a fitness oriented audience with a fresh but familiar spin on Muscle Milk.
Another venture in script writing, these ads spread the good news about Honey Next Door; an Atlanta based honey seller who offers honeys from specific neighborhood bee colonies.
The goal of this project was to ride with no training wheels. We were j ust given a brand and no other goal than to create a campaign that will effectively reach your desired target. I was given Philips Razors, so I decided to take a look back through my college years at all the “just not there yet” facial hair styles I had witnessed or even attempted myself. I decided to take a self deprecating approach of getting 20 year old dudes to press reset, and give themselves a new lease on the world with a clean shave.
This assignment was in the same vein as the last, except literally there are no training wheels this time. The brand is Huffy Bikes, and my goal was to entice thrill seeking outdoor types to own a Huffy. I tried to accomplish this by branding Huffy as a way to experience the world through a different lens that also comes with the added bonus of wind in your hair.
